Power and hand steering mechanism fob



P, WIEDEHHULD.

Powm AND Hmm stimmt; mcrmmsm Fon lfmcrons.

APYUBAUOH FILD AUGJI. 19H.

patented PETER WIEDERHOLD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

POWER'ANI) HAND STEERING MIEICHANISIVJI` FOR TRACTDRS.

y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application tiled August 17, 1917. Serial No. 186,683.

To c!! whom it may concern Be it known that I, I-E'rnn VUnnnnioLn, a citizen of the. United States of meriea. residing at Detroit, in the .county ot' Wayne and Statel of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power and Hand Steering Meehanism for Tractors, of which the following is a specification` reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In order that the hands may be used for other purposes than steering tractors. I have devised a power steering apparatus' that may be controlled either by the hands or the feet and when controlled by the feet, the hands may be used for adjusting, legal-ating o1 controlling farm implements and machinery attached to the tractor. i

The power and hand steering apparatus has been designed for ar tractor having a i'ear overhanging frame under which farm implements may be operated, the overhang ing frame accommodating the operator who may steer the tractor by the' feet and adjust the farm implements by hand.

The apparatus and tractor by which I attain the above and other results will be hereinafter more fully considered and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings. wherein Figure I is a plan ot' a tractor in accordance with my invention; and

Fig'. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same.

In the drawing, the reference numerals 1 and 2 denote the side frames of a tractor.y and these frames are connected by transverse members.` some of which are designated 3 and 4. The side frames 1 and 2.y contiguous to the rear ends thereof, have rotatable axles or shafts 5 for tractor wheels 6 and at the inner sides of said Wheels are large gear wheels or circular racks 7 meshing with the gear wheels or y)inions' S on the ends of the differential shaft 9 driven bythe drive shaft lf) of a power plant 11 located at the, forward. ends of the frames 1 and 2. The power plant 11 includes an engine, ignition :i ud cooling systems. transmission and clutch, and such other appurtenances as are essential for rmerating the tractor'.

One ot' the trai-tor wheels 6, preferably that wheel adjacent the frame 2, has an additional gear wheel 12 between the gear wheel i am the frame 2 and meshing with the gear w eel 12 isanother gear wheel 13 mounted on a shaft 14, journaled in a bearing frame 15 on the transverse member. Slidable on the shaft 14 and adapted for rotat-ion therewith is a double cone friction drive 1G and either of the cones is adapted to engage and impart movement to the frietion cone pulley 17 on a forwardly extending shaft 1S journaled in bearings 1) and 20. carried by one of the transverse nuuubers 3 and the transverse member 4. These bearings also support a hand operated shaft 21, which is located directly above the shaft 18 so that said shafts may be operated in synehronism through the medium of a sprocket chain 22 trained on sprocket wheels 23 on the forward ends of the shafts 18 and 21.

The shaft 18 within the bearing 20, has a worm 24 meshing with the spur wheel 25 mounted 0n a shaft 26 journaled in the lbearing 20, the shaft 26 being disposed at right angles to the shaft 18. On one end of the, shaft 26 is a crank 27 having a ball and socket connection 28 with a reach rod 29.

At the forward ends of the frames 1 and 2 is a cross frame 30 having a central bearin 31 for a king bolt 32 carried bya front truc 33. The front truck is preferably in the form of a yoke having a single wheel 34 and the side of the front truck is provided with a rigid crank 35 connect/ed to the forward' end of the reach rod 29. It is therefore possible to steer or turn the front truck by rotating either of the shafts 18 or 21, the former being a power shaft adapted to be driven when one of the cones of the cone drive engages the cone 17.

To shift the cone drive 16, a` three arm belt crank 36 is cm loyed and pivoted on a bracket 37, carried y one of the transverse members 3 adjacent the conc drive. One of .the arms of bell crank 36 loosely engages the cone drive so as to slide the same on the shaft 14 and shift one of the cones thereof into engagement with thecone 17. Pivotallv connected to the other arms of the bell crank 36 are rods 38 having the rear ends thereof pivotally connected to a treadle or hell crank 39. supported by brackets 40 and a shaft 41 from an extension frame 42. The extension frame is connected by U-bolts or other fastening means to the inner ends of the tractor frames 1 and 2, and said extension frame has a seat 43 for the operator of the tractor.

0n the extension frame 42 is an upright 44 having an adjustable bearing 45 for a hand steering rod 46. The, forward 'end of the hand steering rod 46 is connected to the rear und of the .shaft '21 by universal joints 27 and the rear end of the rod 4G has a hand wheel 4S. The hand wheel 18 is in proximity to the seat 423 and au operator on the seat 43 1na y `eer the trartor by hand or by the feel` or the tl'eadle 49. An adjustable bearing 45 permits: of the hand steering rod 416 being )ositioned ronvenient to the operator, and should the operator desire to manuali),Y control farm implemente below the extension frame lil. the tractor can be steered by power.

lt is thought that the operation and ntilit)r of the hand and power steering mechanism will be apparent. and while in the drawing there is illustrated a `preferred embodiment of my invention. it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications i'all within the scope of the appended claims.

Vlie-t I Claim is:-

1. In a three-Wheel tractor, the combination of a main frame. a power plant, a front steering truck. wheels eoperatlng with said front steeringr truck in supporting said main frame, and driven from said power plant, a worin and gear adapted for -Steering said front truck from said driven wheels, a lon gitudinal shaft for operating said Worm,

tri-aille actuated rluteh adapted for continilinef the operation of seid worin shaft from said driw'en win-,ela and hand operated Sheft abme said worm shaft and uonneeled thereto and adapted for aeinating said worin :mei gear independent o said treadle and said Wheelg.

2. ln a trai-,tolgthe combination with a main frana'.y an extension frame carried there by, and :L power plant carried by said inain frame operating Said tractor, el' Steering xneane` :for seid traf'or adapted to be either hand operated or operated from `*aid power plant. said means` eoinprieing parallel hand and power shafts above said main iframe.` means connu-ting the forward ends oi' :mid shafts Jor operation in synehronisin, treadle actuarial eluteh associated with one el said shafts controlling the operation of said shafts from Said power plant, and adjustableineans connected to tho other shaft, and me tending above said extension frame adapted for aloftuziting both of said shafts by lmnd.

.ln testimony whereof l aliix In); signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER VEDER HOLD.

lvitnesses t KARL H. Bn'rnnn7 ANNA M, Dome 

